Saint Michael's Playhouse stages "Over the Pub"

An "inspiring Irish comedy," Over the Pub, staged by Saint Michael's Playhouse in the McCarthy Arts Center, is called "a warm loving look at Ireland, family, and growing up."

Written by Tom Dudzick, with this Irish adaptation by Dolores Mannion, Over the Pub is directed by Kathryn Markey, who recently directed Boeing Boeing (Mason Street Warehouse), South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof and Carousel(New London Barn), Ragtime (White Plains PAC), and more. She is one-third of the satirical country band, "The Chalks," seen and heard on TV, and headed this fall for an extended run at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.

"Over the Pub has a lot of heart and a lot of laughs," said Director Kathryn Markey. "But it doesn't shy away from the serious question of what role faith should play in modern family life."

Over the Pub, set in Cork in 1963, with Pat and Ellen Murphy who live above their pub with their four children, aged 12 to 16. Each offspring is hell-bent, or at least Purgatory-bent, on making mischief. Toss in a septuagenarian nun who’s devilish with a ruler, everyone’s concerns about faith and sex and family relations, and it’s a hilarious feast, said one critic.

Celebrating its 65th season of professional summer theater, Saint Michael's Playhouse has been named "One of the best regional theater companies in America" by The Drama League of New York City, and hailed by Yankee Magazine as "The Best of New England."

The CAST in their own words

The owners of the pub:

Christian Kohn (Pat Murphy) has been seen in Sleuth and Shakespeare in Hollywood at the New London Barn playhouse. He has worked extensively in New York, Chicago and the regional circuit. Some favorite productions he has appeared in are Hollywood Arms, with Hal Prince and Carol Burnett, the title role in Sherlock Holmes: The Finale Adventure, An Ideal Husband , Trailerville, Last Chance for a Slow Dance, Death of A Salesman, Of Mice and, Bug, The Real Hush-Hush , Phaedra directed by JoAnne Akalaitis, The Turn of the Screw, The Lion in Winter, The Gift Horse , Among the Thugs, David Copperfield directed by Giles Havergal, Sideman, The Invention of Love, The Piano, Twelfth Night, and Mary Stuart, Henry V, Julius Caesar, Opus.

Sarah Carleton (Ellen Murphy) New York, National Tour and Regional acting credits include Always Patsy Cline, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, Much Ado About Nothing, The Importance of Being Ernest and The Taming of the Shrew directed by Maurice Daniels of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Directing credits include: Almost Maine, Cloud 9, Eurydice, Female Stage Beauty, She Stoops to Conquer, Greater Tuna, Assassins, The Beaux’ Stratagem. Sarah taught and performed in Poland at the University of Poznan at the height of the solidarity movement where she directed Love of Life, a play developed by her Polish students. At Ruotalibera Theatre in Rome, Italy Sarah studied Commedia Dell’Arte and Grotowski approaches to mask performance with Tiziana Lucattini.

Their children:

Xavier Markey-Smith (Tommy) is a 14-year-old rising sophomore at the Trevor Day School in New York City. He has played Tony in You Can’t Take it With You, The Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone, The Artful Dodger in Oliver, Kenickie in Grease, and The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. He plays baseball, basketball and sings in a barbershop quartet. He is happy to make his professional debut at the Saint Michael’s Playhouse.

Adam Petherbridge (Eddie) is a recent graduate of The Actors Studio Drama School MFA Program. Regionally and in New York City, Adam has performed contemporary and classic plays from Shinn to Shakespeare, and is a working finalist at The Actors Studio in New York City. Favorite roles include Loeb in Never the Sinner, Peter/Craig in Dying City, and Miles in The Drawer Boy at The Depot Theatre. If you’re in Scotland in August, you can catch Adam in All an Act, a new play about two clowns which will premiere at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Wade Dooley (Mikey) is excited to be making his Saint Michael’s Playhouse debut! As a performer, some favorite credits include: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Tour); Scott Alan’s Monday Night New Voices (NYC) along with regional productions of Grease, Thoroughly Modern Millie,Forever Plaid, CATS, and Crazy for You. As a writer, you can find his web series, Pzazz 101, on YouTube directed by Isaac Klein. Also, Wade is the creator and book writer of a new musical, Sunset City, with lyrics by Brett Teresa and music by Bobby Cronin.

Evyn Whiteley (Annie) is thrilled to be a part of this year’s summer stock season. Evyn is a sophomore theatre major at Saint Michael’s College and plans to move to Los Angeles, California to continue to perform after school. Past credits include APPetite and Crimes of the Heart (Saint Michaels College). Anything Goes and The Skin of our Teeth (Ashland High School). Evyn was also cast last summer as the original off-Broadway Isle in the new musical Spring Awakening.

Rest of the 2012 season

The blockbuster Off-Broadway musical event, Forever Plaid, August 1-11, directed by Keith Andrews. One of the most popular musicals in recent history, this charming Off-Broadway smash hit will take you on a trip to the fabulous 50s with the harmonious and heavenly tones of four loveable guys, Sparky, Jinx, Smudge, and Frankie. Forever Plaid is the story of The Plaids, a 1950s boy band, miraculously brought back to earth from the great beyond for the chance to fulfill their dreams and perform the concert they never got to do while they were living!

Tickets and season subscriptions available on line and at the box office in McCarthy Arts Center. Single tickets from $28 - $38. For more information, go to www.saintmichaelsplayhouse.org

Playhouse background:

From its beginnings in 1947, Saint Michael's Playhouse has blossomed into an award-winning, highly-regarded equity theater company. The Playhouse features talent from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theaters nationwide, presented right here in Vermont. Housed in the Saint Michael’s College McCarthy Arts Center, one of the finest theater facilities in the state, the Playhouse attracts approximately 16,000 theatergoers each season.

Saint Michael's Playhouse is a professional theater company operating as an auxiliary enterprise of Saint Michael's College. The Playhouse is Greater Burlington's only actors' equity resident theater company and as such operates under contract with Actors' Equity Association in New York City. At the same time, Saint Michael's College students have the opportunity to learn from the pros through internships in technical theater, costuming, lighting, set construction, and publicity.